Chiconomical

Hello guys! How was Holi? I hope you had a great time and enjoyed yourself with your loved ones! While I'm sure you took adequate precautions to safeguard your hair and skin but if you haven't I've got you covered. I've got a few tips that always help to heal the damage that harsh Holi colors may have caused and hopefully, bring back the shine to your hair.



1. Wash gently
While you may be tempted to scrub all the colors from your scalp, dont! Instead let the water rinse most of the colors out of your hair and then gently shampoo it using a mild shampoo. Ideally, use a non-foaming shampoo to avoid further harming your scalp and rinse your hair thoroughly with cold water.

2. Conditioning is everything
The most important thing to do after holi is to condition your hair using a moisturising conditioner. This is extremely important since the sun and fun will have stripped your hair of its moisture. This is the single most important step in bringing your hair back to life.

3. Mask the Problems
If you've got the time then I highly recommend using a hair mask. This is basically like the normal face masks but for your hair. This may take time if you've got long hair like me but trust me, its worth the effort. If you think the damage to your hair is high, then get a natural hair mask suitable to your hair type to start fixing the situation.

4. Serums are your Friend
After you've washed and conditioned your hair, make user to use a serum on the ends. If possible try and use a leave in conditioner as that will form a protective layer around your hair for when you go in the sun. However, if you don't have one, then definitely throw on some serum ( I absolutely love Livon btw). The idea is to make sure that your hair isn't exposed to direct sunlight.

That's all folks. I know these tips sound simple but since a lot of people seem to miss these, I thought it was a good idea to list then down for easy reference for all you guys! I do hope these help you mend the damage if any!

We're around a week away from Holi and its almost time to welcome the most colorful time of the year. Holi is always celebrated with joy and while the day is a riot of colors, I often hear people complaining about how it messes with their hair and skin. Since I've been saving my hair from holi damage for several years now, I figured I'd share my tips on pre-holi care.

Start Early! 

First off, make sure your hair is clean before you oil it. Yes, I know everyone tells you that you should oil your hair but first off, its extremely important to get rid of any dandruff or dirt that may already be present. Use a gentle shampoo, (I've seen tressemme or Nature's co works well) and make sure to get rid of any split end before holi.

Oil, Oil, Oil!

ANY girl who's worth her holi colors will tell you, oil is the key to saving your hair. If there's only time to do one thing before you go out to play, then its got to be oiling. Any hair oil works well, you could go for a scented one that's sure to keep you calm.

Braid it like a pro!

Another thing that girls often forget is that oiling isn't enough. If you've got hair that's fairly long, then its important to ensure its tied neatly. You could braid it in any number of stylish ways so as to keep it away from your face and make sure that its easy manage

Scarves are Saviours!

Finally, my most important tip is the most sensible one. If you can add a scarf or a bandana to keep your hair from directly getting exposed to the colors, there's nothing like it. I personally think that a scarf worn as a headband and a pair of reflectors is the coolest look for any Holi. You've got style and sense all rolled into one, and that's the best of both worlds right?

What are some of the things you've done to protect your hair this Holi? Go on, follow these haircare tips to enjoy a great holi. I'll be back next week with tips on Post Holi Haircare and how to deal with the damage, if any!

Remember my post around a month ago where I talked about my Nioxin Experience? No? You can check it out here. Anyway, I promised you guys that I'll be telling you my experience with the take home kit, and here it is! I've been using the 3 part system for almost a month now, religiously. I have no used any other product apart from Nioxin on my hair.

The Nioxin Products are said to combat hair thinning and give thicker, fuller looking hair in just four weeks. After the dermabrasion treatement which is done in a salon, you are expected to use your take home kit everyday. This consists of a Cleanser, Revitaliser and Treatment. These come packaged in three different bottles. Lets break down my experience with each.

1. Cleanser Shampoo

This was my favorite of all the three parts. This works like any other shampoo and has a sweet yet pepperminty smell that I love. The shampoo lather up quite well and a normal coin sized amount works for even my long hair. I like the packaging and the clear liquid. All in all, I would probably use this in place of my normal shampoo.

2. Scalp Revitaliser

A scalp revitaliser is basically a conditioner for your scalp. I took some time in order to adjust to this concept of a scalp conditioner. I'm so used to getting the amount of conditioner required for my hair, I had to make a conscious effort to get just enough to use for the scalp. Also, I don't like that the dispenser is the same as the shampoo bottle but isn't really suited for a conditioner. The texture of the conditioner makes it much harder to get the product out, and frankly, this is quite off putting to me.
Oh, another problem I faced was that I couldn't get the conditioner out quickly. It took me almost 10 minutes everyday to just wash it off and this is yet another issue as you are expected to use the system everyday.

3. Scalp Treatment
Finally, after you're done with the shampoo and conditioning, you need to apply the scalp treatment, which is basically a leave-in serum onto the scalp. I love the little pump like packaging and its extremely easy to apply. However, just like the conditioner, this has to be applied by separating your hair into parts and frankly, it took a lot of time. I like that it isn't heavy on the hair and doesn't make it greasy as many leave-in serums tend to do.

And that's it folks. Following this 3-part system everyday (yes, you read that right!) can give you thicker, fuller hair. So you ask, apart from the above comments, how did I feel about the whole experience over the month?

First off, I do not like that we have to use this everyday. It takes a considerable amount of time and somehow I couldn't get used to the extra bath time. I don't like washing it everyday and there is an option where you can wash it every alternate day (but you have to shampoo twice) but somehow, I still can't justify the time spent. The Revitaliser takes has a considerable amount of time to apply and I wish there was some way that we just had a shampoo that would work as both.

Excuse the weird pictures

Secondly, lets talk about the effects. After a month, do I feel like I have fuller hair? Erm, no. I definitely feel that my scalp is cleaner. I like how my hair feels and it feels softer and shinier. Thinning? Yes, I don't think it has affected my problem areas all that much. I don't see a drastic change in my hair texture (refer my before n after images to see for yourself). If anything, I feel my ends are a bit dry thanks to the washing everyday. However, do I think this will work for someone with major thinning issues? Yes! My hair texture has degraded over the last couple of years and this is mainly due to stress. I think if you have thinning due to blockage of your hair follicles, this will definitely work

Will I continue using the Nioxin 3-part system?
No. I don't think I can continue using this. However, I think I will get the dermabrasion (more about that in my last post) along with the take home kit for those summer months where there is just too much pollution in the air. These are the days that I usually shampoo everyday anyway, so using this system works well into my routine. However, I firmly believe that if you stop using this, the effects of thicker, fuller hair, will stop.

Do I recommend the Nioxin System to You?
I suggest you should first get your hair checked by a professional in a Salon. You definitely shouldn't use it if you don't face hair thinning. I do believe it works, just that my hair thinning wasn't so drastic that I could actually feel the difference. However, do keep in mind that the treatment is a little heavy on the pockets (everything together with the in-salon treatment will cost you roughly around Rs. 5000). However, if you have severe thinning (which a lot of middle aged ladies face), I suggest you give Nioxin a try.

Final Verdict:
I'll give the product a 3/5. While I didn't see any drastic effects, it is still a good product for people with severe thinning. Also, considering that its one of the only products currently in the Indian market, that targets thinning hair (and not hairfall), I find that people would benefit with it.